John Sheridan

Lore & Background

Sheridan was born to an Earth Alliance diplomat and is a descendant of American Civil War general Philip Sheridan. He joined Earthforce, was briefly married to Elizabeth Lochley, and reached the rank of lieutenant commander by 2245. During the Earth-Minbari War, Sheridan served as first officer aboard the EAS Lexington. When the ship's captain was killed in a Minbari ambush, Sheridan took command. He mined nearby asteroids with nuclear weapons and lured the Minbari flagship Black Star into the trap by broadcasting a distress signal. The destruction of the flagship gave Earth its only real victory in the war, earning him the nickname 'Starkiller' from the Minbari. He was later promoted to captain, commanded the Omega-class destroyer EAS Agamemnon on exploratory missions, and helped put down the Mars Riots. In 2259, Sheridan took command of Babylon 5. His assignment initially caused tension with the Minbari warrior caste due to his war record, though he soon built a close friendship with Ambassador Delenn.

In Their Own Story

When Earth Alliance President Clark began turning Earth into a dictatorship, Sheridan uncovered a secret surveillance group called the Nightwatch operating on the station. After Clark declared martial law and ordered troops to fire on civilians on Mars, Sheridan seceded Babylon 5 from the Earth Alliance, defeating a loyalist attack force with the help of Delenn and a fleet of Minbari ships in 'Severed Dreams'. Sheridan formed an alliance between the Narn, the Minbari, and the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to fight the Shadows. After learning his wife Anna was still alive but working as a mind-controlled agent for the Shadows, he traveled to their homeworld of Z'ha'dum. He refused to join them, ordered his ship to crash into their capital city with fusion bombs, and jumped into a deep pit to escape the explosion. Sheridan was saved by Lorien, the oldest living being in the galaxy, who used his own life force to revive him, though it left Sheridan with only twenty years to live. Sheridan returned to the station and led the allied fleet against both the Shadows and the Vorlons, convincing both races to leave the galaxy at the Battle of Coriana VI. Following the war, Sheridan led a fleet to Earth to remove President Clark from power. After disabling loyalist Earthforce ships using telepaths, Sheridan reached Earth. Clark committed suicide before he could be arrested, but activated Earth's automated orbital defense systems to fire on the planet. Sheridan's fleet joined with surviving Earth ships to destroy the satellites. To ease political tensions with the new Earth government, Sheridan resigned from Earthforce. The League of Non-Aligned Worlds then dissolved to form the Interstellar Alliance, and Sheridan was chosen as its first President.

Reader's Guide

Sheridan runs the Alliance from Babylon 5 for a year before moving to the new headquarters in the Minbari city of Tuzanor. Five years into his presidency, he helps defend Earth against a biological plague released by the Drahk, sending the prototype starship Excalibur to find a cure. In 2279, Sheridan chooses not to run for re-election, and Delenn becomes the second President while Sheridan takes over leadership of the Rangers. In 2281, knowing his twenty years of life are up, Sheridan meets with his old friends for a final dinner. He visits Babylon 5 one last time before it is decommissioned, then travels alone to Coriana VI. There he is met by Lorien and goes 'beyond the rim' of the galaxy. His empty ship is found later, but his body is never recovered. Throughout the show, several messianic references are made about Sheridan, with characters using terms like 'the second coming' and 'the messiah.' In the season four episode 'The Face of the Enemy,' Michael Garibaldi quotes the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot when discussing Sheridan's capture. Religious parallels also appear in the season two finale, 'The Fall of Night,' when Sheridan falls from a transport and is caught by the Vorlon Kosh, who appears as an angel to the human onlookers. This scene mirrors the biblical passage of Matthew 4:1–11. Sheridan is also brought back to life twice by the ancient being Lorien, first on Z'ha'dum and later on Babylon 5.

Did You Know?

• Sheridan earned the nickname 'Starkiller' from the Minbari after destroying their flagship, the Black Star, during the Earth-Minbari War.
• Sheridan is a descendant of American Civil War general Philip Sheridan.
• Sheridan was brought back to life twice by the ancient being Lorien, first on Z'ha'dum and later on Babylon 5.
• After returning from the dead, Sheridan learned his remaining lifespan had been limited to twenty years.
• Sheridan's empty ship was found at Coriana VI, but his body was never recovered.